Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip was amazing! Cami made everything easy and was very responsive and easy to reach even during times where we ran into hiccups she was there to help problem solve. Our excursions were fun had the best tour guides. Awesome hotel accommodations I will definitely use Kimkim in the future. Thanks Cami :)

Oriana was amazing as we had to plan and reschedule this trip three separate times! She was able to keep us with our preferred tours and hotels and our driver Haytham was fantastic, stopping at great places and making sound recommendations. Loved it and will go with KimKim again for sure.

1st time with KimKim
Planning the trip with KimKim was a pleasure. We were a bit overwhelmed with what CR has to offer and having someone help us make the most of two weeks there was a life saver.
Selection of activities was excellent - both in terms of number and variety of things to do. Both guides were very responsive and helpful.
Highlights of the trip: Rafting and chocolate tour in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Unexpected highlight: Kayaking up the river in PVdT
Can skip: We booked 3 wildlife tours. Unless you are a big wildlife fan, 1-2 tours is enough

Activity Reviews

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Rainforest Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful nature, helpful guide. The waterfall is pretty scenic

Quality of Experience

A bit far from La Fortuna (1.5h drive)

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and helpful

Transport

on time. Be ready for 1.5h drive from La Fortuna

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure (Class II-III)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent! Nice class 3 river with a lot of excitement (but still doable with the kids)

Quality of Experience

Thrill, great guide, great fruits, beautiful nature

Food

delicious fruits!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David (aka Jesus) was a great captain and guide

Transport

on time

Cahuita National Park Snorkel & Rainforest Hike

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

A great kayaking trip up the river. Lot of wildlife, gets very quite after a while (once you are past the howler monkeys)

Quality of Experience

Lot of wildlife in a short time

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guy was often more interested in taking pictures on his own vs letting us get closer to the animals

Transport

on time

Amazing travel experience with KimKim.

I would like to pay extra thanks to our travel agent Christine. She is knowledgeable and approachable. She helped putting the trip together with us and booked all the necessary items.

During the trip, she went above and beyond to help us confirm reservations and help with issues came up along the trip such as luggage shipping. I cannot recommend KimKim more. Defintely using KimKim on my next trip to Japan.

Beatriz was able to put together an incredible trip that let us see all the places we wanted to see in both Portugal and Morocco. I was so impressed by the guides in each place. They were so knowledgeable and eager to share the wonders of their cities with us. The trip exceeded my expectations and I will definitely be taking more trips with kimkim.

Our recent trip to Costa Rica in January 2023 was amazing, it was our first trip in Costa Rica and the trip planned by Bryan and the Serenpidity team was amazing. Our goal was to see a lot of wildlife and experience the Rainforest and Cloudforest and our excursions totally met our expectations. The hotels were also great, with 2 of them absolutely fantastic (Arenal Manoa in La Fortuna and La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio).

We would totally recommend Kimkim and Bryan to our friends.

Thanks to Michael and the Kim Kim team for the amazing support during our trip to Columbia. Despite lot of travel / logistical issues - Michael was able to help us re-plan and re-adjust our trip to make the most of it. The support team in Columbia - that provided all our transportation were very courteous and helpful. Special mention to Christian - our driver who took us from Cartagena to Minca - he was amazing.
We had to make lot of changes on the fly and Michael was very helpful and patient in helping plan out our trip.

Thank you Kim Kim team
Best
Amit

Hotel Review

Hotel Bosques del Saman Alcala

Alcala - Filandia

We could not make it to the hotel as we missed our connecting flight

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Trip to Rosario Islands

Colombia

This was the highlight of our trip - beautiful islands along the way

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an amazing trip! Christina was there for me the whole way making lasting minute adjustments for me as life happened with delayed or missed flights. She lined up transportation and moved hotel reservations with detailed instructions how to get where I needed to be. She is nothing short of awesome.
Alta, Sorrisniva Wilderness Lodge was a perfect setting. Quiet, immaculate and friendly. The Sami Culture/Reindeer Sledding was a must. Our guide was great (I think his name was Malika), very informative and interesting. From there we traveled to Lyngen North Glass Igloo. This place is a must with a perfect view to look for the Northern Lights. Our last night the conditions aligned and the lights put on a show from around 9 pm until 4 am. The lights streamed across the sky over our igloo. It was simply amazing. Norway is probably the cleanest country I have ever seen. The people are extremely polite and helpful. With English being their second language (thankfully), it wasn’t confusing or stressful to obtain information to navigate around.
I will absolutely use KimKim again to my next destination. No hesitation!

The adventure was well designed and great choices were made by Lorena, I mentioned a cruise through the fjords of Patagonia and she came through with beautiful well thought out and enjoyable trips.
I especially enjoyed the 5 day cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, around Cape Horn and through the inside channels. Unfortunately due to weather conditions we were unable to land on the cape but passed close enough to get pictures of the station and the monument.

An earlier tour had to be cancelled due to weather and Jesse, on the ball found an interesting tour in the park near Puerto Natales and organized it on short notice to fill in a spare day that I had.

A big yahoo for a job very well done.

Activity Reviews

Transfers in {{start_location}} and {{end_location}}

Chile

Not much to say, Ushuaia is a small city but has some interesting sites. Not much time in El Calafate because the bus left early the next day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruise Tierra del Fuego from Chile to Argentina - Day 5/5

Punta Arenas

Again the crew of guides and the ships crew went out of their way to give us an exceptional experience, even when the weather was giving them stress.

Quality of Experience

Food

Well prepared and well presented

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Chile

The hike at the glacier face was just about right for a 70 year old man. The views are spectacular and the ship crew went out of their way to get us close to fauna along the route.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food preparation was a bit marginal, but certainly edible.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their extra effort to show us everything along the way

Transport

Penguin Colony on Magdalena Island

Chile

Unable to take trip due to weather conditions

It was absolutely amazing. Everything was planned with such care and detail, charlotte was amazing and very responsive. Overall it was one of the best trips I have ever been on!

We had an amazing experience working with Emilce for our delayed-honeymoon trip to Argentina! Emilce was extremely responsive to our needs and questions, even when we asked her to rework the itinerary multiple times throughout the year. She was very knowledgable in the best activities and tours that matched our lifestyle, but also in finding the best value for the budget. She did an amazing job at the end with getting everything booked on a tight timetable.

Emilce helped us focus our trip on 3 areas - Buenos Aires, El Chalten/El Calafate in Patagonia, and Mendoza. She planned a trip where there was a healthy balance of travel/adventure with leisure time. We felt extremely satisfied at the end of our 2 weeks in the country and felt like we had a better sense of the magnitude of the country.

I under estimated the value of the service provided each day with the local guides, drivers, and tour contacts. We had extreme professionals taking care of us daily to make sure we knew exactly what to expect. Every contact in the trip was very personable as well and took great pride in ensuring our satisfaction and experience in Argentina. They helped make the trip even more unforgettable by providing insights and experiences that we could only get from a local perspective.

The one suggestion for future travelers is to try to fly into AEP instead of EZE when you want to explore the city. That would have saved us time and made it easier for luggage.

Hotel Reviews

Club Tapiz

Maipú - Mendoza

Absolutely incredible. We enjoyed the Casa Zolo back house as it felt like our own personal summer house away in the wine country. Staff were extremely professional and the kitchen cooked up some of the best dishes we had in the trip. So many nice touches from a historical venue - two pools, incredible scenery of mountains and gardens, massive rooms with beautiful ornate doors and windows, etc. I could go on and on. We felt special staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dazzler by Wyndham Buenos Aires Palermo

Buenos Aires

Great location. Hotel room matched our need to be a base location for exploring Palermo. The room was very large to help us take hold of our luggage, but the open-concept sink outside the bathroom was very strange and led to messy floors with the water. I imagine the views from the room and top-floor breakfast area are stunning in the spring/fall. It was very sunny and warm during our trip so we weren't able to maximize this.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Location was very central but the hotel room was not that good - very strange layout with very minimal space for clothes or suitcases. Room got hot during the summer. The cost was very very affordable but I personally would have splurged for something a bit nicer to come home to each night after a long day exploring BA in the summer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mirador del Lago

El Calafate

Very luxurious for the price. Mirador offered the most comfortable and largest hotel room during our trip. It felt very special spending time at Mirador and enjoyed all the amenities offered.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of the lake

Staff

Extremely helpful and knowledage

Cleanliness & Comfort

Night turn down service was special

Activity Review

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Neighborhoods Tour was the perfect way to start our BA trip by giving us local context into the main highlights of the city

Quality of Experience

I learned many things

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabrina was so knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

AC private shuttle was much appreciated. I expected to walk in the heat so this helped

Our trip to Egypt was a great experience, thanks to Kimkim/Egypt Promotion. The tour was well organized: Mahmood met us at Cairo airport and helped with the visa process, etc; the guides on tour (Khalid, Abunob, Mariam) were knowledgeable; and the local tour operators (Ahmed, Zain) kept everything moving on schedule. Other than the pyramids, temples, the Nile cruise, etc, one place that was a highlight of the tour was the White desert; the natural formations there are just spectacular! Overall, we had no problems or issues on the tour, and we had a very good time. We will surely encourage our friends to visit Egypt and recommend Kimkim.

Activity Reviews

Visit The west Bank and transfer to Hurghada

Egypt

Visit Edfu temple & Luxor temple and Karnak temple

Egypt

White Desert - Cairo

Egypt

Hurghada - Cairo - Bahariya

Hurghada

Visit Abu Simbel temple and Kom Ombo temple

Aswan

Boat trip & snorkeling/ Diving at Giftun Island

Hurghada

Aswan

Aswan

Cairo - White Desert

Bahariya

Desert Safari at Hurghada

Hurghada

Day tour to visit Pyramids& Sphinx and Old Egyptian Museum

Cairo

Terri and Kim Kim made all our dreams come true! Trip of a lifetime made easy with their help and service. Every wish granted… every desire met, and done so with kindness and grace. Thank you for everything! Couldn’t have had such a fabulous trip without Terri and crew! If I could hug a company and a travel planner extraordinaire, I would!

Hotel Reviews

Buubble Hotel Ölvisholt

Selfoss

The bed was so very comfie. Loved being able to watch the light from snug and warm in bed was incredible

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

None present

Cleanliness & Comfort

I bit of explanation on how to warm the bubble/bed would have been helpful

Adventure Hotel Hof

Hof

Arriving cold and tired to find that the reservation was incorrect and front desk said he did not have authority to make a change despite us having a printed copy of our confirmed reservation. The guide had to call the tour company and let their representative speak to front desk before the error could be corrected. Also there are no elevators to accommodate guests with mobility issues

Authenticity & Character

That it was away from city light

Location

Staff

Except for front desk personnel, everyone was super accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely room and comfie c

Hotel Borgarnes

Borgarnes

The room was large by Icelandic and the bed was extremely comfortable!

Staff

The feeling

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

The front desk staff made us feel welcome and at home. We used it as a home base, checking in and out as we toured various parts of Iceland. They stored luggage, helped with arranging taxis as well as making recommendations with smiles and kindness! Restaurant staff was equally amazing! Thank you all for making our dreams come true!!

Authenticity & Character

The history of the build was quite interesting

Location

It was close to everything we were interested in but wished the tour buses could have come directly to hotel.

Staff

Front desk was consider and super accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything!

Activity Reviews

Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion

Reykjavík

Even though it was cold, we loved every minute of it!!

Golden Circle, Secret Lagoon & Bubble Tour

Iceland

Outstanding experience

Full Day Tour to Reykjanes Peninsula & Blue Lagoon (Super Jeep)

Iceland

What made this trip was the driver who made many accommodations for three not so young travelers with some mobility issues !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was Sims who was extremely kind and thoughtful. He was knowledgeable and his English was impeccable! He went way above and beyond to make our trip extraordinary! Thank you

Transport

It was quite comfortable, and Sims took a step stool with us to make getting in and out of the big bad awesome jeep easy!!

Two day/one night South Coast tour - Day 1

Iceland

Well planned and beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and mst helpful

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

The lights showed up at first stop. That was amazing

Quality of Experience

Successful sighting of the lights

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was one of the rudest people I have ever met. In addition, his Russian accent was very very heavy making it almost impossible to understand. He is clearly in the wrong profession

Transport

Difficult to get in/out in ice and the driver was not very helpful with that

Two day/one night Snaefellsnes & West Iceland tour

Iceland

The trip to the horse farm was worth the trip

Quality of Experience

Seeing the lights

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Martin was our guide and his care and concern for the comfort of the travelers was excellent!

Transport

When there are many people on the tour, the Bus is really tight when wearing all the winter coats and such

Dog Sledding

Iceland

The entire experience was beyond our expectations! The people running the tour were joyful and extremely accommodating! Loved every minute of it

Quality of Experience

Beyond expectations

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and kind

Transport

Iceland Thermal Bath Experience

Iceland

Staff was very helpful and the facility was clean and accommodating The lagoon was beautiful and the entire experience was incredible

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Went out of their way to make the experience phenomenal

Transport

The guide was most helpful

Liz was wonderful. She booked me the most amazing tour in quick turnaround. I loved Australia and being able to see the different animals indigenous to the area was really neat for me. I loved sailing to the Great Barrier Reef, I could spend a whole week there. The sky tram and train rides were so much fun. I loved Sydney and the bustle of the town. The penguin parade at Phillip island was also a must see. My trip was packed full of adventure and fun. I will definitely use Kim Kim in the future.

Hotel Review

Bay Village Tropical Retreat & Apartments

Cairns, QLD

Very neat space just outside of the city. Easy walking to the warf and night market. Birds and small animals are heard instead of cars and urban noise. The room was tidy and big for just one person. The fridge was nice for keeping my drinks cold. The restaurant was there and I had breakfast included which was very good. Including hot and cold foods.

Authenticity & Character

Great restaurant attached with authentic delicious food from Bali

Location

Away from everything, but not too far.

Staff

Very helpful with all questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Homey feeling.

Activity Reviews

Phillip Island Wildlife Day Trip via Brighton Beach

Melbourne

Such a unique and special treasure of a day. Seeing the animals would have been more fun if it wasn’t sooo hot, but again Mother Nature wins.

Quality of Experience

The staff at the penguins were great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our small tour driver was very very nice. And knowledgeable.

Transport

Bumpy ride. But overall great

Full Day Kuranda Rail & Skyrail

Australia

This was sooooo amazing. Both methods of transport were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Seeing the treetops of the forest. Seeing the underneath thought the train.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No one specific. But everyone was nice and helpful.

Transport

Getting to the place.

Morning or Afternoon River Drift Snorkeling

Port Douglas

Canceled due to too much rain flooding the river.

Full Day Marine World Outer Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Top ten best days I have ever had.

Quality of Experience

The crew was great. The places were beautiful. And everyone was nice and friendly.

Food

Good lunch on board.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and nice.

Transport

The fist driver didn’t show up. I was worried I would miss the trip. But a new driver came after a few calls and I made it.

Welcome to Cairns

Cairns

My favorite city. But yes it’s hot!!

Quality of Experience

Small town. Lots to walk around and do

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone I met was very nice

Transport

The airport driver included an extra tour of the town layout on the way to the hotel.

Blue Mountains Day Trip with Hike

Sydney

Amazing trip into the blue mountains. The worst part was the drive, but the guide gave us some interesting information. The hike was amazing and a bit strenuous but not too hard.

Quality of Experience

Lucy was good the hike was fantastic. And I just love the mountains.

Food

The restaurant was a neat place rich in its own history. The food was good and filling. Nice choice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was nice and explained a lot

Transport

Small group

Sydney Opera House Tour

Sydney

Cool rich history of the project and udon. It was fantastic to see it all up close.

Quality of Experience

Learning about the iconic place

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone I’ve met has been helpful.

Transport

I walked to this tour.

Half Day Sydney Classic Tour (Bike)

Sydney

So fun. And not really too physically taxing. Great way to see the city and big sights. The rain was no fun, but we all laughed anyway!!

Quality of Experience

Personal attention and small group size.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was very helpful. Guide grew up there so he knew his stuff.

Transport

I walked to get there.

The trip was amazing. Hien was very communicative and made sure everything went according to plan. We were taken care of from A to Z and had the private car, driver and tour guide to ourselves during the trip. We paid a fraction of the cost compared to other tailor tours. When I had some plan changes or requested additional tours or services, Hien quickly accommodated the request and got the driver and the tour guide ready for us. She was our private concierge and ready to answer any questions.

We visited Costa Rica for the first time and spent 9 days in the country. We spent our first night in San Jose and then 2 nights each in Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, La Fortuna and Tamarindo. We wanted to see as much as possible on this trip and we feel like we got to see a lot of different places. Getting to these different places wasn't easy. My wife gets car sick and she really had a rough time on the roads. If I could do it again I would have considered flying from place to place when possible. The drive times were all longer than we expected. Most roads were paved but not all. And some roads had many potholes. Even when paved the winding roads made the drives feel extra long. Fortunately our drivers were one of the highlights of our trip. They were all personable and professional. They were excellent drivers and handled the challenging road conditions like true pro's. They were very hospitable. They answered our questions and let us practice our bad Spanish.
All of our guides were wonderful. They were all very knowledgeable and professional and friendly. You can tell they enjoy what they do.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Pasatiempo

Tamarindo

We got to stay in the Villa. It was basically a one bedroom house with a full kitchen and living room and nice covered patio section. When we were escorted to the villa the sofa bed in the living room looked like it had been used and not cleaned and a coffee cup was in the sink. The hotel employee assisting us had somebody come and makeup the sofa while we were out at lunch. Not a huge deal but not a great first impression either. The shower water pressure was weak. The property is full of trees and animals. We saw an Iguana, monkeys, squirrels, lizards and cats. The breakfast was served a la carte and was delicious. The restaurant staff was very friendly. The pool was simple but very relaxing. Live music sounded good too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to beach and all you need in Tamarindo. Right across the street from a supermarket and ATM. Many restaurants within walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Hot Springs Thermal Water Resort

La Fortuna

Fantastic hotel. The combination of the various hot spring pools, surrounding vegetation and the view of the mountains made this property really impressive. I think there was 7 or 8 different pools/hot tubs to enjoy. My favorite part was the view of the pasture and mountain from the coffee shop. The property feels luxurious and natural at the same time. The breakfast buffet at the restaurant was my favorite breakfast of all the hotels we stayed at. Good selection of hot breakfast food and all the fruits you could want. The rooms were modern, spacious and comfortable. Staff was friendly. Kenneth helped us schedule a taxi and make a dinner reservation on our first night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location but not very walkable. Must taxi or drive to town or restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

This is a beautiful property. The landscaping is beautiful with a garden and walking trail. Didn't get to use the heated pool or hot tub but it looked like the perfect way to finish a long day. The rooms were modern and comfortable. Great shower water pressure. The front desk staff, especially Lilly, was very helpful and hospitable. The restaurant had a yummy ala carte style breakfast in the morning. My only complaint is that with high winds during our stay, the branches from the trees kept hitting the roof above our room making it very difficult to sleep. We should have said something after the first night. If you're on the 4th floor make sure the tree branches are clear of the roof.

Authenticity & Character

Simple and stylish

Location

Right across the street from a shopping plaza that includes a supermarket and several restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

We didn't have any hot water on our first night. Of course when the hotel sent someone to check on it the next morning the hot water was working. We had intermittent hot water for the rest of our stay. Besides the hot water, I don't have any complaints about the hotel. The room is simple and comfortable. Our 3rd floor room had a balcony overlooking the gardens. The restaurant served a yummy buffet breakfast. My favorite part of the property was the proximity to the beach. The beach is beautiful and only a few minutes from our room. We saw a sloth perched in the trees at the beach on our last day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach access. 15 minute walk to Manuel Antonio park.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Delta Hotels by Marriott San José Aurola

San José

This hotel wasn't "amazing" but it was fine and served it's purpose. We checked in at 10 at night and were gone the next day by 2. The rooms were dated and drab but everything worked. Great water pressure in the shower. We were hungry when we got in but didn't know where to find food at such a late hour. The person at the front desk let us know that we could order via Uber Eats. 45 minutes later we were eating Chinese food in our room. If he hadn't mentioned it, I'm not sure we would have thought of delivery. The breakfast in the morning was a good mix of hot foods and fruits. The waiter helped us when my wife overcooked her waffle in the waffle maker. The location of the hotel is very convenient to downtown San Jose. They held our bags as we went out to explore the city. Overall a solid choice for 1 night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tamarindo Turtle Nesting Tour

Costa Rica

There were 21 of us on this tour, by far our most crowded tour of the trip. The ride to the beach took an hour and then it was a 20 minute walk to the beach. We waited for over an hour while our guide scouted the beach for turtles. There was only one turtle on the beach that night. We were able to observe the turtle nesting and laying it s eggs.

Quality of Experience

It felt a little unorganized when we got to the beach but really we were just sitting and waiting for turtles. The group also felt too big for one single guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Backroad Mountain Biking Around Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide, Otto was fantastic. We were the only 2 on the tour. Otto had great energy and was so nice. The bike ride lasted about 90 minutes. You bike the road around Lake Arenal. We saw birds, cows, horses. Lots of farmland and great views of the lake. Otto even stopped on the way out of town to show us a sloth. Biking was a fun way to experience the area and get some exercise. After the ride Otto cut up a pineapple for us to snack on. And on the way back to the hotel Otto serenaded us with romantic ballad in Spanish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Night Walk

Monteverde

We were in a group of 6. Our guide Andre was very knowledgeable and showed us many things we would never have seen on our. We saw a tarantula, glowing mushroom, several sleeping birds, lizards and opossums. I thought we would see bigger animals but I was wrong.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Kayaking

Manuel Antonio

This was a very peaceful and relaxing activity. Albi, our guide was very friendly and did a good job explaining the ecosystem. We saw a monkey, a tiger heron, a kingfisher and a Black Iguana. We kayaked for about 90 minutes. The kayaking was easy and we saw a few other guides doing tours at the same time. We then were taken to a restaurant for a small breakfast and then transported back to the hotel. We had hoped to see more animals but we still enjoyed our experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

So grateful to have found Kimkim. Everything was seamless. Great communication and wonderful ideas. The concert at Palau de la Musica was phenomenal. Pintxos tours sublime. Our guides Nereae and Diego so helpful and knowledgeable.

Worked with KimKim and specifically Cecilia at a local Italian travel agency to plan our honeymoon to Italy in Fall of 2022. It was a breeze to plan, and Cecilia made sure to work in all our requests while still helping us find experiences with best local guides for things we were not sure about. Can't beat the ease, safety, value, and guaranteed high quality experience that kimkim ensures your vacation will be. This was our 3rd trip in different parts of the world that we booked through them and we will definitely be back!

Activity Reviews

PRIVATE VISIT TO THE SORRENTINE HILLS AND A FARM WITH LOCAL TASTINGS

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

COOKING CLASS IN ROME

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Murano, Burano and Torcello Excursion

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Capri Day Trip from Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel - Small Group Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

SEMI PRIVATE - FLORENCE: PISA, SIENA, SAN GIMIGNANO, CHIANTI TOUR

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour with the Accademia Gallery

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

SMALL GROUP TUSCANY WINE AND OLIVE OIL TOUR

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Venice guided walking tour with gondola ride

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

KimKim review: Emi was amazing and curated such a wonderful trip for us. Booking on KimKim was very convenient for us as we had very little time ourselves to plan a whole trip. The one aspect that caused some frustration was that Emi was only reachable by email effectively which makes the process very slow. I think even having one phone call to sort out small details and ask questions would have been much more efficient. In addition, factors outside of our control (big storms that take out internet for a week or Park Ranger strikes) made Emi inaccessible for a week. We certainly don’t blame Emi for this at all, but it did create kinks in the planning process.

Once we were in Patagonia, our local support on WhatsApp Mateo was SO responsive and immediately available when issues came up (a lost reservation at one of the hotels, a lost cab, etc). None of these were KimKim’s fault but each issue was resolved in minutes. This was such an amazing feature!

Our trip review:

Transitions:
The transitions were seamless and we didn’t have any issues at all! Cab transfers to and from the major airports with local guides was a nice touch but ultimately for those wanting to save money, getting a cab/uber on your own seemed easy in Buenos Aires and Santiago and was likely a lot cheaper. I would therefore offer the transfer as an option. I would definitely recommend the private transfer from Calafate airport to El Chalten lodging. Puerto Natales also has a great cab system, and Weskar lodge can call a cab for you at any time that will be there in 5 minutes. That being said, not having to worry about calling cars was such a luxury. Our Taxi driver in Puerto Natales from the bus terminal to Weskar was really great.
- The bus from Argentina to Chile was very easy but a little confusing at the boarder. We could have used some instruction on what to expect.

English speaking guides:
- We found the guide in Buenos Aires to be helpful, especially because we had just arrived and money changing is quite difficult in Argentina. The English speaking guide in Santiago was not necessary for us, although if you are starting your trip in Santiago it could be nice.
- In general, we felt we did not need english speaking guides for transit purposes.

Airport timing: We appreciated getting to the airport before international flights early, but 2 hours early would have sufficed and definitely you don’t need to get to Calafate airport or Puerto Natales airport more than one hour in advance (2 hours early was way too much time). It felt like we were sitting for hours waiting for those flights. Others may have different preferences.

Hotels: We loved all of the hotels we stayed at. Weskar Lodge in Puerto Natales and Alto Calafate were our favorites. The pools and sauna at Alto Calafate after our 30 mile trek in Chalten was such a nice treat. It’s sort of away from the main town, but they have an hourly shuttle that takes you to and from the center of town. Weskar Lodge is also a bit outside of the center but we loved the 20-30min walks along the water to get into town.
For younger people like us wanting a more social lodging situation, staying in hostels in Chalten and Puerto Natales or even the major cities would have also been fun options. But we were really happy with the hotels Emi chose.
-We ended up booking a one-night stay at the Patagonia EcoDomes which was an absolute highlight. From the Domes you can hike directly to Lagos de los Tres and then hike down to town and they had a car that could bring your belongings down El Chalten for free. We had already paid for a private transfer, but this was a great option! They can also call you a cab easily so a transfer isn’t necessary if you want timing to be flexible.

Highlights:
Lagos de Los Tres
Mini Trekking in Calafate
Kayaking in Puerto Natales
(We also heard Paddle boarding with PatagoniaPaddle (you can find on IG) is an amazing activity although we didn’t do it.)
Hiking Base Torres in Torres del Paine (and our guide Claudia was amazing)
Tango show in Buenos Aires
All of the food in Puerto Natales- we were happy to have so many nights there!

We enjoyed the second hike in Torres del Paine through guanaco territory because we saw cave paintings and learned a bit more about the natives and the geology, but it was a very mild hiking day (~6 miles) and some may have preferred a larger trek in the park. We were tired after hiking Base Torres so it was actually nice! Also, Gabriella our guide was fantastic

Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers was also a really fun boat excursion. We also heard great things about the Grey Glacier boat excursion.

Overall AMAZING trip with basically no issues. Thank you all so much!!

Hotel Reviews

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Amazing view over the bay. Great staff and breakfast. They can easily call cabs within 4 minutes. Only a 20-30min walk into town (beautiful walk along the water) or a 5 min cab away.

Alto Calafate Hotel Patagonico

El Calafate

Spa, massages, sauna, pool was so nice after trekking in Chalten! AMAZING view of Calafate-- we sat outside reading with wine every afternoon. Shuttles every hour can take you into town.

Posada y Cabañas El Barranco

El Chalten

Basic amenities, private ground floor room. Very close to trails and main strip. Nothing special. A hostel would have probably been just as nice and more social.

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Nice hotel, basic amenities, continental breakfast, good location.

Activity Reviews

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Good to do after a big trek to rest. The average age was definitely 60-80 (or young children) so we felt a little bit young but the glaciers are so cool to see (although not as impressive as Merano glacier), they serve whisky on the rocks and serve an enormous plate of lamb for lunch- we had a BLAST.

Full day Hike Porteria Lago Sarmiento - 6/7 km approx

Puerto Natales

Definitely an easier day. We enjoyed seeing cave drawings and learning about guanacos, the other fauna, and the native history and geology.

Eberhard Fjord Kayaking Tour

Puerto Natales

It was very windy and difficult but still so much fun! There were many beginners on our trip who did great, and one blind woman! It was definitely hard, but worth it. There is a mini hike on the island where you kayak to with amazing views of Patagonia.

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

Our guide was amazing and we had a great group. The hike is spectacular. They provide trekking poles. You definitely want to be in good shape for this one. The drive from Puerto Natales is a couple hours so bring a book or something to listen to.

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

Such a highlight!! Would recommend 100%

We spent three weeks in Mexico on a trip organised for us by Rutopia. Mexico was astonishing, beautiful, interesting, fun and we cannot wait to return. But we will not be doing so with Rutopia. We were put in contact with Rutopia via the site Kim Kim, which is an independent travel website putting users in touch with country experts… ostensibly. I’d used Kim Kim before and had been happy with the resulting trip. Not this time.

Rutopia seemed great before setting out. They were friendly and efficient in their communication and their detailed itinerary also seemed fine. Their local contact – via WhatsApp was helpful, friendly and responded quickly. But the sheer number of providers they subcontract to and the subcontractors in-turn subcontracting to others make for a supply chain of chaos. And we start to see things change a day or two before we depart.

First, Rutopia was unable to book us tickets to the Frieda Khalo museum (this was part of the detailed itinerary we paid for). They blamed the large visiting New Year’s Eve crowds buying up all the tickets. I thought it was odd because we had planned the trip with them months before, so if Rutopia – as local experts – would expect crowds, they’d be able to jump on the tickets right away. Or Rutopia would have alerted me to this possibility so I could’ve made sure to be on the alert as soon as the tickets went on sale. Rutopia proposed a virtual reality Khalo experience instead, but we weren’t interested. I opted instead for a free day in CDMX. Did Rutopia offer a refund for that day? No. And I thought it was odd, but I didn’t ask for one. The reason: at our request, Rutopia got us an upgraded room in the hotel they had booked for us. We requested the upgrade because our original room had a paper-thin connecting door to the next room and we could hear our next-door neighbours clearly as if they were in the room with us. Five days of that was a non-starter. So, considering the upgrade, I didn’t ask for a refund for that day. We had a lovely time on our own and visiting Teotihuacan as per our itinerary.

Second, we depart CDMX and our flight arrival time was not listed properly on our itinerary. That didn’t affect us, but the transfer driver had been told an even earlier time and had been waiting for us for something like three hours. We thought it was odd, but again, didn’t suspect what was about to happen.

Third, our departure from San Cristobal was scheduled for 3am via a private transfer. This was clearly stated in our detailed trip itinerary Rutopia drafted for us and which we agreed before paying them a five-figure sum for our trip. We would then stop en-route to visit two waterfall areas.

At 3am on the designated day, a large, multi-person van pulls up. The driver is cross seeing our luggage and says he would’ve sent a different vehicle if he knew we had luggage. We thought this was odd. It wasn’t a lot of luggage for two people travelling for three weeks: a weekend-sized rollaboard, a large duffel bag (these were the two largest pieces), two small rucksacks/daypacks, a small camera bag and a small handbag. This attitude and the type of vehicle prompted me to ask if we would be the only persons. The driver said no. He needed to pick up more people between 3am and 5am. We were merely the first stop.

We were stunned. I explained, in my basic Spanish, we had paid for a private transfer. The driver calls his boss (not Rutopia – each driver we’ve had so far and would have for the trip is from a different company – supply chain hell as I previously mentioned) and the boss tells him he doesn’t know what’s going on. The driver asks us for a confirmation voucher. We never received any vouchers from Rutopia and no one until then had asked us for any. It’s the digital age after all, and we had our detailed itinerary, which I showed the driver. The driver is now visibly annoyed with us and asks us what we want to do. It’s after 3am, we’ve checked out of our hotel and we are trapped. So of course we say we will stay on the bus and make the several hour journey like this. But this wasn’t satisfactory to the driver! He drives us back to the hotel and dumps us there. In Spanish he says to the passenger in the seat next to him that he’s washing his hands of us. My spoken Spanish isn’t good, but my understanding of it is excellent. I hear this clearly.

We’re now back at the hotel. I’ve messaged Rutopia, called them and nothing – obviously, it’s almost 4am. I next call the transfer company and I speak to who I believe is the driver’s boss. That person tells me there’s no private transfer for that day and if I want the same driver to return. Of course I say yes to have him return. That’s what we had said to the driver originally. We had no choice!

When the van arrives back at our hotel, it’s full of passengers and there’s no room for our luggage. We spend the next six hours jammed with most of our luggage on our laps, in seats not next to each other, on the tortuous roads of Chiapas. Because we had believed we had a private transfer, we had left our bathing suits (for the waterfall stops) in our luggage as we believed we would have easy access to them. The reality was our luggage was piled with others’ and things had to be moved just for all the passengers to be able to get out of the van. We were utterly unprepared for the hell trip this was and were extremely disappointed we couldn’t go swimming. Of course the sights were beautiful, but they were marred by the utter discomfort of the trip. Had we paid for this type of transfer and had a backpacker trip in mind, then fine. But that’s not what we paid five figures for.

Our itinerary also detailed a sunset visit to the ruins of Palenque as the final activity for that day. Did that happen? Nope. We were dropped off at our hotel around 12.30 or so. Check-in wasn’t until 3pm, but were able to get into our rooms a little earlier.

When the Rutopia in-country representative came back on line I requested a refund. The in-country representative said the transfer was meant to be shared and didn’t know why her colleagues had written private. We were shocked by this. I pointed to the detailed itinerary showing clearly the transfer was private. The itinerary is the contract we agreed to with Rutopia and they couldn’t change significant things and just say oops. I asked about the sunset tour of the ruins and nothing. That didn’t exist either. So we had had a hell trip from 3am for nothing.

I asked for a refund of that day. Reluctantly, Rutopia agreed and said it would be in my account a few days later. It’s now weeks later and it’s not there.

After this incident, there were others. For example, one driver was told to pick us up at 8am, but our itinerary says 9am and that’s confirmed the day before by the in-country representative. During the day, we discover he had been waiting for us from 7.30am. And no wonder he was sullen when we stroll up at 9am with no apology. Both of us had been under different instructions.

Another example, I had mentioned several times in the discussions with Rutopia we are vegan. And where do we go for one of our activities – a crocodile farm. The activity listed was for a boat trip, but it didn’t list we would be going to a crocodile farm, which we would have refused. The boat trip itself was nice, but the nature of it was totally different on the detailed itinerary. And that happened a lot. Things would be described in one way on the itinerary, but would be quite different in reality. It was as if Rutopia hadn’t updated themselves on what was actually happening on the ground.

Our breakfasts were included, but only one hotel during the entire three weeks seemed to have gotten the message we are vegan. And kudos to them. The irony was there were even vegan hotels in many of the places we stayed, but Rutopia didn’t suggest them to us. And as this was not a trip I planned, I didn’t do all the research. After all, I believed I was paying for someone to do that.

This disconnect between paper and relity was reflected in some of the hotels. In particular, the hotel in Punta Morelos. Ostensibly a three-star hotel given the three stars on its façade. In reality, a mouldy, 1980s nylon curtained, tired two stars at best. Again, if that’s the trip we had paid for, then ok. But at the five figures we spent, then no. Not acceptable.

Rutopia is disorganised. They have to make their margins wherever they can and so do their subcontractors. At the end of this stick is the driver and the traveller. And the poor in-country representative who has to hear the traveller’s complaints. So, never again Rutopia.

Hotel Reviews

Le Muuch

Valladolid, Yucatán

Small room with nowhere to put luggage other than in a corner on the floor. But nice property. Impossibly slow breakfast service. Thirty minutes just for a cup of coffee, which was all we ordered. Good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Lucia Hotel Boutique

Mérida, Yucatán

Location was good. But the rooms were tired and noisy. Clean though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Don Gustavo

Campeche

This was the best hotel of our trip. They were the only ones who actually had gotten the message of our dietary requirements and prepared accordingly. The location is perfect. The rooms and the entire property are gorgeous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Aldea del Halach Huinic

Palenque

The rooms are bleak and need an update. But they're clean and the bed is comfortable. The location is great though with lots of wildlife and trees. The restaurant was pretty good too. They had vegan food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Punto Mx

Mexico City

Do not get a room with a connecting door. The connecting doors are paper thin and you'll be able to hear next door as if they were right in the room with you. However, the location is great. And the upgraded room we eventually got was terrific. No vegan food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Guayaba Inn

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas

Lovely place, spacious room, beautiful gardens. No vegan food available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel El Moro

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo

This is a two star hotel at best. Mouldy, badly in need of an update, motel style nylon curtains and a common area which could be the site of a crime show. Avoid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything

Activity Reviews

Shared biking experience through Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Brilliant day. Terrific guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

restaurant had clearly marked vegan options!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucha Libre Experience & Mezcal Tasting

Mexico City

Fantastic night and great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from San Cristobal to Palenque - visit Agua Azul and Misol Ha en Route

Mexico

This was hell and it wasn't a private transfer at all. I've set this all out in my detailed feedback letter. But here's an excerpt: Third, our departure from San Cristobal was scheduled for 3am via a private transfer. This was clearly stated in our detailed trip itinerary Rutopia drafted for us and which we agreed before paying them a five-figure sum for our trip. We would then stop en-route to visit two waterfall areas. At 3am on the designated day, a large, multi-person van pulls up. The driver is cross seeing our luggage and says he would’ve sent a different vehicle if he knew we had luggage. We thought this was odd. It wasn’t a lot of luggage for two people travelling for three weeks: a weekend-sized rollaboard, a large duffel bag (these were the two largest pieces), two small rucksacks/daypacks, a small camera bag and a small handbag. This attitude and the type of vehicle prompted me to ask if we would be the only persons. The driver said no. He needed to pick up more people between 3am and 5am. We were merely the first stop. We were stunned. I explained, in my basic Spanish, we had paid for a private transfer. The driver calls his boss (not Rutopia – each driver we’ve had so far and would have for the trip is from a different company – supply chain hell as I previously mentioned) and the boss tells him he doesn’t know what’s going on. The driver asks us for a confirmation voucher. We never received any vouchers from Rutopia and no one until then had asked us for any. It’s the digital age after all, and we had our detailed itinerary, which I showed the driver. The driver is now visibly annoyed with us and asks us what we want to do. It’s after 3am, we’ve checked out of our hotel and we are trapped. So of course we say we will stay on the bus and make the several hour journey like this. But this wasn’t satisfactory to the driver! He drives us back to the hotel and dumps us there. In Spanish he says to the passenger in the seat next to him that he’s washing his hands of us. My spoken Spanish isn’t good, but my understanding of it is excellent. I hear this clearly. We’re now back at the hotel. I’ve messaged Rutopia, called them and nothing – obviously, it’s almost 4am. I next call the transfer company and I speak to who I believe is the driver’s boss. That person tells me there’s no private transfer for that day and if I want the same driver to return. Of course I say yes to have him return. That’s what we had said to the driver originally. We had no choice! When the van arrives back at our hotel, it’s full of passengers and there’s no room for our luggage. We spend the next six hours jammed with most of our luggage on our laps, in seats not next to each other, on the tortuous roads of Chiapas. Because we had believed we had a private transfer, we had left our bathing suits (for the waterfall stops) in our luggage as we believed we would have easy access to them. The reality was our luggage was piled with others’ and things had to be moved just for all the passengers to be able to get out of the van. We were utterly unprepared for the hell trip this was and were extremely disappointed we couldn’t go swimming. Of course the sights were beautiful, but they were marred by the utter discomfort of the trip. Had we paid for this type of transfer and had a backpacker trip in mind, then fine. But that’s not what we paid five figures for. Our itinerary also detailed a sunset visit to the ruins of Palenque as the final activity for that day. Did that happen? Nope. We were dropped off at our hotel around 12.30 or so. Check-in wasn’t until 3pm, but were able to get into our rooms a little earlier. When the Rutopia in-country representative came back on line I requested a refund. The in-country representative said the transfer was meant to be shared and didn’t know why her colleagues had written private. We were shocked by this. I pointed to the detailed itinerary showing clearly the transfer was private. The itinerary is the contract we agreed to with Rutopia and they couldn’t change significant things and just say oops. I asked about the sunset tour of the ruins and nothing. That didn’t exist either. So we had had a hell trip from 3am for nothing. I asked for a refund of that day. Reluctantly, Rutopia agreed and said it would be in my account a few days later. It’s now weeks later and it’s not there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport